Care home · Lower Lydbrook
The Orchards
Illustrative photo, not of The Orchards- Address
- Stowfield, Lower Lydbrook, GL17 9PD
- Run by
- The Orchard Trust (4 services)
- Service
- Residential care home
- Beds
- 20 (registered with CQC)
- Registered with CQC
- January 2011 (15 years)
- Registered manager
- Paul Edward Prosser
- Last CQC check
- 4 Oct 2019
- Typical fees Estimated
- £1,300–£1,590 a week for residential care. Estimate only, from published local rates. How we estimate
Licensed by CQC for: Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care
Open CQC's full report · CQC location ID 1-119801936
Introducing The Orchards
The Orchards in Lower Lydbrook is registered with the Care Quality Commission as a residential care home, run by The Orchard Trust. The service is registered to support adults of all ages and children and lists physical disabilities, learning disabilities and sight or hearing loss among its specialisms.
CQC rated it Good overall (October 2019), with Well-led rated Outstanding.
The Orchards over the years
CQC registration dates from January 2011, so the service has been operating for around 15 years under its current registration.
CQC has published 2 overall ratings for it (2017–2019), starting at Good and staying Good every time.
It has gone 7 years without a new overall rating. CQC schedules inspections by risk, so this is not a bad sign in itself, though leadership may have moved on.
CQC lists 5 reports for this location, the latest dated 4 October 2019.
Strengths and weak spots in the ratings
Looking at the five areas: Well-led is rated Outstanding; 4 other areas are Good.
Across Gloucestershire, 8 of 190 rated care homes are Outstanding for Well-led (4%).
Outstanding ratings for a single area are uncommon; the Well-led section of the report gives examples of what inspectors saw.
Ratings for safety, care and leadership
- Safe165 of 190 in Gloucestershire
- Effective175 of 190 in Gloucestershire
- Caring167 of 190 in Gloucestershire
- Responsive161 of 190 in Gloucestershire
- Well-led8 of 190 in Gloucestershire
CQC key question ratings, published 4 October 2019. Under each rating: how many care homes in Gloucestershire share it; for example, 8 of 190 care homes in Gloucestershire rated Outstanding for Well-led.
Around Lower Lydbrook
There are 3 other care homes within 3 miles, 3 of them rated Good or Outstanding; the nearest is Hazelhurst Nursing Home, 0.8 miles away.
It is registered for needs that fewer services nearby cover: sight or hearing loss (7 of the nearest 25); children (1 of the nearest 25).
14 of the 24 nearest rated care homes have a more recent rating than this one.
It sits in Lydbrook ward, classed by ONS as smaller rural (further from a major town or city), among the 50% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. NHS services here are planned by NHS Gloucestershire ICB.
Within about a 10-minute walk there is a park (7 min) and a bus stop (3 min), which matters for residents who can go out and for visiting family.
Likely fees
We estimate The Orchards at £1,300–£1,590 a week for residential care, based on published prices in the region. Over a year that is roughly £68k–£83k.
Ask whether the fee changes if needs increase, and what is extra: hairdressing, chiropody, outings and newspapers are often charged separately.
Gloucestershire Council can help with costs for people with savings under £23,250, starting with a free assessment.
Specialisms
Registration details from CQC.
Who runs it
The Orchard Trust runs 4 CQC-registered services; 4 of the 4 with a rating are Good or Outstanding (100%), against 84% for the same mix of services across England.
All 4 are in Gloucestershire, so it is a local operator rather than a national chain.
Earlier inspections
- Jan 2017
- Oct 2019
- Today Rating 7 years old
Every overall rating on record for this location, earliest first.
Inspection reports to read
- CQC inspection report 4 October 2019
- CQC inspection report 24 January 2017
- Inspection report 15 October 2013
- Inspection report 15 May 2013
- Inspection report 24 November 2012
Area and map
- Ward
- Lydbrook
- Parliamentary constituency
- Forest of Dean
- NHS integrated care board
- NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
- Setting
- Smaller rural · further from a major town or city
- Neighbourhood deprivation
- Among the 50% least deprived areas in England
- Postcode district
- Care homes in GL17 (7)
See the wider area · Directions · Base map © OpenStreetMap
Local amenities
- Bus stop 240 m (3 min walk) · 8 stops within 600 m
- Park Lower Lydbrook Park, 550 m (7 min walk)
- Place of worship Saint Margaret, 450 m (6 min walk)
Straight-line distances to the nearest of each, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Walking routes are longer; check for hills and crossings if you plan to take a relative out.
Area details from ONS and NHS postcode data via postcodes.io (Open Government Licence).
What inspectors found
- The provider and registered manager had created a positive, caring, person-centred culture where innovation was encouraged and fostered.
- People were cared for by staff who felt supported and valued and loved their role.
- Staff knew people exceptionally well and showed insight into their needs, they were able to use their knowledge to assist in developing the service as their ideas were welcomed and encouraged.
- The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance.
Inspected 2 August 2019; report published 4 October 2019; supporting 20 people at the time. Taken from CQC's own findings (Open Government Licence). Read the full report.
Family reviews
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Frequently asked about The Orchards
- How is The Orchards rated for safety and leadership?
- CQC rates five key questions. For The Orchards: Safe: Good; Effective: Good; Caring: Good; Responsive: Good; Well-led: Outstanding. Safe and Well-led are the sections most worth your time.
- How much does care from The Orchards cost?
- No fee list from The Orchards has reached us. A written quote should spell out weekend, bank holiday and short-notice rates.
- Who runs The Orchards?
- The Orchard Trust is the registered provider for The Orchards.
- How big is The Orchards?
- The Orchards can take up to 20 residents. Ask what is free now and about en-suite rooms.
- How recent is The Orchards's CQC rating?
- CQC published the current rating on 4 October 2019, 7 years ago. Older ratings are common, so ask about changes since.
- Does The Orchards support people with dementia?
- Dementia is not listed among the specialisms on its CQC registration. Ask the provider directly if this matters to you.
- What kind of care can The Orchards offer?
- Its CQC registration covers residential homes. Ask The Orchards how it would adapt if needs increase.
- Is The Orchards regulated by the Care Quality Commission?
- The Orchards is on the CQC register as a care home (ID 1-119801936) and was rated Good overall in October 2019.
- Where is The Orchards?
- It is at Stowfield, Lower Lydbrook, GL17 9PD.
In Gloucestershire
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Source: the CQC register as of Oct 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0), with our own analysis. Anything marked "in the provider's own words" comes from the provider. The Care Panel does not provide care.